Method of welding rings by electricity



(No Model.)

H. LEMP. METHOD OF WELDING RINGS BY ELECTRICITY. No. 428,619. Patented May 27, 1890.

Fig.1.

INVENTDH.

Rfnwuuz L ern a I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HERMANN LEMP, OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE THOMSON ELECTRIC IVELDING COMPANY, OF MAINE.

METHOD OF WELDING RINGS BY ELECTRICITY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 428,619, dated May 2'7, 1890.

Application filed January 10,1890. Serial No 386 500x (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is Be it known that I, IIERMANN LEMP, a citia plan of an apparatus suitable for practiczen of the United States, and a resident of ing my invention, the parts being shown in Lynn, in the county of Essex and State of position preparatory to the operation of weld- 55 5 hilassachusetts, have invented certain new ing and molding. Fig.2shows the apparatus and useful Improvements in the Method of opened out for the removal of the finished Making Rings and other Curved Metal Obarticle. Fig. 3 is a blank adapted to be used jects by the Electric'WeldingProcess, of which in forming a metal ring. Fig. t illustrates a the following is a specification. modified form of apparatus suitable for use 60 My invention relates to a manner of makin practicing the invention.

ing metal rings or other metal objects of Referring to Fig. 1, O 0' indicate two jaws curved outline and having an open center, whose interior faces, when they are brought in which the electric welding process is emtogether to the proper extent, will conform to I ployed for the purpose of forming a union the shape of the ring or other finished ar- 65 between the free ends of one continuous ticle. One of the jaws, or both, may be piece of metal, or between the two pairs or movable and may be mounted on a suitable more of the free ends of a number of pieces, plate or base adapted to receive the work. which, being all welded together, make the I have shown the jaw O as fixed and the jaw complete article of curved or endless form. C as movable to and from it, for which pur- 70 The object of my invention is to facilitate pose it is pivoted at a point, as P, and is the operation of producing the finished arprovided with a suitable operating-handle or ticle of the required shape; and the invenother device. Astopp limits the movement tion consists, essentially, in molding or conof the jaw O toward C. forming the metal to the required outline or R is the metal ring or blank, the free ends 75 shape simultaneously with the operation of of which are to be welded together at IV to forming the weld or joint electrically between form a finished ring.

the parts which require to be united in order At J J, Ihave indicated conducting-blocks to make the finished article. i of copper or other good conducting material My invention is especiallyapplicable to the adapted to bear upon the ring at opposite 8o making of rings, though it may be applied to sides of the weld \V, for the purpose of furthe making of curved metal objects of irregunishing an electric current to the metal of lar or unsymmetrical form. the ring in a way to cause the current to pass a The invention consists, likewise, in softenacross the point \V, where the free ends of ing the continuous portion of the metal blank the blank are abutted. 85

5 used in making the object by causing an elec- The blank itself in the present instance is tric current to pass through the same in suffishown as consisting of a single piece of metal, oient volume, thereby assisting in the conthe two free ends of which have'been curved forming or molding process. around to the general shape of the desired My invention consists, further, in other dcarticle, and have been made to abut. In form- 90 4o tails of operation to be hereinafter described, ing this blank or ring I may, if desired, take and then particularly specified in the claims. a piece of metal somewhat longer than the In practicing my invention any desired circumferential extent of the finished ring form of apparatus may be used which will and bend such blank into the form of the serve to accomplish the purpose of conformring,'with its ends, however, overlapping, as 9 5 ing or molding the object to the desired illustrated in Fig. 3. The extent of the overshape at the time that the parts of the same lap is determined by the extent of metal required to be welded together are forced towhich is taken up in the welding process when ward one another, and I have in the accomthe two ends are forced together. After formpanying drawings shown but one of many ing the blank in the shape shown in -Fig. 3 mo forms of devices which might be employed thetwo ends maybe sprungapartand abutted, for the purpose. as indicated in Fig. 1,when the blank is placed in the apparatus. This method of making the blank has the advantage that very little conforming or shaping of the metal is required, especially if the material be springv and adapted to resumcits shape after having been sprung to permit the overlapped ends to abut. Even when, however, the blank is of springy metal the conforming or molding operation is desirable, because it insures the production of a finished ring of exact circular outline.

It is obviously not necessary to the carry ing out of my invention that the blank should be formed to the exact shape of the finished ring; but I might take a piece of metal and bend it to a general circular form or to a form approaching that of the finished article, bringing the ends of the same together in abutment at the time of first bending. It is generally preferable, however, to make the curved blank on a form which is the same as that of the finished article and to spring the ends back for abutment.

The conducting-blocks .I .I of copper may be, and are preferably, mounted in the jaws O C, the faces of the blocks .I J being a part of the conforming or molding surfaces. Electric current may be supplied to such blocks through any desired means. Thus, for iiistance, the block J may be mounted on a copper bar D and the block J maybe supplied through a flexible conductor 6, connected with another block or bar D Electricity from any source supplying current of the requisite volume for heating the metal to be worked to the welding temperature is furnished to the bars D D as well understood in the art. The conforming-jaws C C, excepting at the parts J J, are preferably of iron or some inferior conductor, and should be insulated from one another at the point P.

To assist in the operation of conforming or molding the article to the desired shape, I make the faces of the blocks .I J of sufficient angular extent to cause a considerable part of the electric current to pass around by way of the continuous portion of the ring R, and in such amount as to soften the same and render it easy of bending or shaping.

It is obvious that in the case of blanks formed of a single piece of metal the angular extent of the blocks J J in the direction around toward the continuous portion of a ring or blank will determine the amount of current so passing for the purpose of softenin g the metal. The amount of current so passing would to some extent be determined also by the nature of the jaws or conforming faces (1 C, if the latter are inferior conductors. If they were of insulating material entirely, the blocks J Jwouldhave tobecontinuedaround or extended to a greater distance for the purpose of softening the blank than would be the case if the jaws C C were conductors.

\Yhile I have described my invention as applied to the making of rings from a single piece of metal bent to the general outline of the ring, it is obvious that it might be carried out by making the ring from two or more pieces. Thus, for instance, as indicated in l ig. 4, each jaw (J C might have two sets of comlucting-hlocks J' J instead of one, and one jaw might be forced toward the other by means of a screw, as indicated, being forthat purpose mounted in suitable guides. Each piece of metal from which the ring is formed would in such case embracea little more than a half of the completed ring to allow for the part taken up in welding.

After forming the blocks or blanks in any desired manner and making them of a shape approaching or exactly answering to the shape of the finished article the object or objects are placed in the apparatus, as indicated in Figs. 1 and l, with the ends of theportions to be welded in abutment. The elcctriccurrcnt is then supplied to the apparatus, as well understood in the art, and being caused to pass across the joint the parts contiguous to the joint are softened and heated to a welding temperature, whereupon the parts are forced toward one another by means of the devices shown, thus causing them to be welded together with (in ordinary cases) simultaneous formation of a burr or expansion, as indicated in Fig. 3, which burr or expansion rep resents the amount of metal taken up in the welding operation and allowed for by making the blank which is placed in the apparatus somewhat longer than would be necessary if no metal were used at the weld.

'When the objects are forced toward one another for the purpose of forming a weld, as just mentioned, the conforming or molding devices 0 0, being moved toward one another at the same time, will shape or mold the ring to the exact finished form which it will assume when the parts have reached the limit of their movement, as determined by the stop 1') or other device.

As before stated, while I prefer to cause current to pass through the continuous portions in volume sufficient to soften the same, I do not con fine myself to this expedient, and in the case of rings or other objects formed of metal of small gage, or of a metal which is naturallyplastic, I may omit the softening of the blank or blanks by heat produced by the current.

\Yhat I claim as my invention is- 1. The hereindescribed improvement in welding metalri ngs or other curved metal ob jects, which consists in causing the electric current to pass through the continuous portion of the blank in amount sufficient to soften the same, and molding or conforming such continuous portion to the curve required simultaneously with the welding operation.

9. The herein-described method of forming rings or other endless metal objects having an open. center, consisting in bending a bar of metal of a length greater than the circumfcrential length of the desired finished article until its ends overlap, springing the ends IIO apart and abutting them, and then electrically welding said ends together, while at the same time molding the continuous portion of the bar to the exact conformation desired.

3. The herein described improvement in making electrically-welded rings, which consists in forming a curved blank from a continuous piece of metal of somewhat greater length than the circumferential length of the finished ring, placing the free ends of the blank in abutment in an electrical welding apparatus, and then forcing them toward one another to effect the weld, while at the same time shaping or molding the other portions of the blank to the desired curve or form.

4. The herein-described improvement in forming rings or other curved metal objects by the electric welding process, consisting in molding or shaping the continuous parts of the object to the finished form in the operation of forcing the parts to be welded toward one another.

5. The herein-described method of forming electrically-welded rings, consisting in bendsisting in bending a rod or bar of metal into 35 the general shape required, abutting the ends against one another, passing an electric current across the joint, and then forcing the ends toward one another, while at the same time molding the metal to the shape of the finished article desired.

Signed at Lynn,in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, this 7th day of J anuary, A. D. 1890.

HERMANN LEMP.

Witnesses:

JOHN W. GIBBoNEY, F. W. CUSHING. 

